


Delirium

by Russ (Quasar)



Series: Time Heals [8]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2067105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quasar/pseuds/Russ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim visits Blair in the hospital after he was shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Delirium

**Author's Note:**

> Written March 1998. Takes place after the episode "Survival."

"Hey, buddy, how you feeling?"

Cloudy blue eyes stared up, huge-pupiled. "Mmmm . . . 'M I dead?"

"No, you're in a hospital."

"Ughh. Even worse." Blair's eyes traveled slowly around the stark white room, flinching from the fluorescent lights. "So I'm dying, huh?"

"The doctor says you'll be fine."

"Sure feels like I'm dying."

"You have a nasty infection brewing in your leg. Then you had a reaction to the antibiotics they put you on. How come you never told me you had drug allergies?"

"Din' know."

"Well, you're starting to get better now. I know you feel lousy, but hang in there and you'll be out of here in a few days -- a week, tops."

Blair groaned again. "Don't lie to me, man. I can take it. I'm dying, right?"

"I swear, the doctor says you're all right. Or you will be."

"Shows what the doctor knows. That's the problem with modern medicine, man -- it has no soul. No compassion."

A smile tugged at Jim's mouth. "Well, if you can expound on cultural differences you must be getting better."

"Jim, there's something I gotta tell you before I go."

"Sandburg, I told you, you're not going anywhere!"

"Please, man. It's important."

Jim sighed and leaned forward, lifting his partner's hand. "Okay, Chief, I'm listening."

"Umm . . . you know those diaries?"

"The ones you showed to Sam?"

"Those are the ones. I never told you what was in them."

"Yeah?"

"They're about you."

Jim froze. "You showed Sam your Sentinel research?"

"No, man, not research notes! They're . . . personal. How I feel about you."

"Oh." Jim had the feeling he wasn't quite getting it.

"Yeah. So Sam got jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, I mean it was really ugly. She went all cold on me, and she said -- man, she has a sharp tongue when she gets mad."

"I know that, Chief. But what was she jealous about?"

"How I feel about you," Blair said doggedly.

"How do you feel?"

Blair's gaze wandered. "Not too good, actually. I think I'm gonna throw up."

Jim placed a hand on his friend's burning forehead. "Just breathe, Chief. Try to relax. If that doesn't help I have a bowl here."

"No, 'sokay. I don't want to throw up." Blair swallowed. "I really don't want -- ugh!"

Jim held the bowl and supported Blair's head.

"Ohhhh," Blair groaned pitiably.

"It's all right, buddy. Just take it easy."

"Wa'er?"

"Right here. No, don't sit up, there's a straw."

"Oh god. Tastes awful."

"You're going to be all right, Blair. Just rest now."

"Yeah. Guess I am kinda tired. What was I saying?"

"You were just telling me how you feel."

"Mmm. Sleepy, tha's how."

"Then sleep, buddy. I'll be here."

* * *

In the hallway, Jim bumped into a doctor he recognized. "Doc, how's he doing?"

"Mr. Sandburg? I was just going in to check on him."

"He was awake for a minute, but he went back to sleep."

"Oh, that's good. Was he making sense?"

"Well . . . he did seem a little weird. He said he felt awful, and he was sick to his stomach."

"I'm not surprised. With the fever he's been running today, delirium and nausea are only to be expected. But the last blood tests look good. The new antibiotics are starting to clear up the infection. We should see his temperature coming down soon."

Jim heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. When can I come back to see him again?"

"Visiting hours begin at seven in the morning. Mr. Sandburg should be much more like himself by then. He might not remember anything of what he said tonight, though."

"No, probably not. There wasn't much to the conversation anyway."

"I'm glad to hear he was alert and talking. Don't worry, Detective, we'll have your friend better in no time."

"Thanks, Doc."

* * *

Unable to sleep when he got home, Jim started cleaning the loft. He did a load of laundry, then carried Sandburg's clean clothes into the kid's bedroom and started folding it away. He looked around for a book or something that he could take to amuse his partner when Blair reached the boring part of his hospital stay. Several tomes were balanced on the small bedside table; none looked like light reading. Tucked under the edge of the bed were some notebooks. Jim pulled one out curiously and opened it. On the front page were the words "Personal Diary: Jan. 1996 --"

The pages trembled as Jim turned to the first entry.


End file.
